NDA Seat-Sharing Talks In Bihar: BJP, JD(U) Likely To Contest Around 100 Seats Each

Last Updated:October 08, 2025, 09:43 IST

Sources added that the JD(U) has left it to the BJP leadership to persuade allies such as the LJP, Manjhi, and Kushwaha to scale down their seat demands

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar with Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary arrives at a public meeting ahead of the state Assembly elections, in Bhagalpur, Bihar, (PTI)

The Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar is in talks over its seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming Assembly elections, with both the BJP and JD(U) expected to contest around 100–103 seats each, sources said.

As per the probable seat-sharing formula, the JD(U) is likely to contest 103 seats (down from 115 in 2020), while the BJP may field candidates in 102 constituencies (compared to 110 last time). The Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) is expected to get 20–25 seats, primarily in areas where it currently has five sitting MPs. Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) may contest eight seats (it contested seven and won four last time), while Upendra Kushwaha’s RLSP could be allotted five to six seats.

Sources added that the JD(U) has left it to the BJP leadership to persuade allies such as the LJP, Manjhi, and Kushwaha to scale down their seat demands to finalise the arrangement without friction within the NDA.

Meanwhile, the BJP’s state election committee is meeting this afternoon to review the progress of the talks, followed by an NDA state-level meeting later in the evening. The BJP Central Election Committee (CEC) is expected to convene by late this week or early next week, after which the party may release its first list of candidates.

Opposition Camp Seat-Sharing Formula

As the Mahagathbandhan continues internal discussions on seat-sharing for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, the Opposition bloc, comprising the RJD, Congress, Left parties, and smaller allies, is yet to reach a consensus, with several partners pressing for a larger share of seats.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), which contested 144 seats in the 2020 polls and won 75, is now seeking at least 134 seats this time. The Congress, which had fought 70 seats earlier and won 19, is demanding 60–65 seats but may have to settle for around 55, sources said. The Left parties, which contested 29 seats and won 16, are pushing for at least 35 seats in the new arrangement.

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) may be allotted two seats, while Pashupati Paras’s faction is also expected to be accommodated. However, the most contentious demands have come from Mukesh Sahani’s Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), which has shifted from the NDA to the opposition camp. The party, which contested 11 seats in 2020, is now asking for 30-plus seats, the deputy chief minister’s post, and greater “samman (respect)", citing Sahani’s claim of being the “son of the Mallah (fisherman)."

Sources say Sahani’s aggressive stance has emerged as the biggest challenge for the Mahagathbandhan, with the RJD reluctant to concede such a large share. The VIP is reportedly being offered 12–15 seats, far below its expectations.

Meanwhile, the RJD has not responded to Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM, which has already announced four candidates in Seemanchal, signalling a possible triangular contest in the region.

Bihar Poll In Two Phases This Time

The Bihar Assembly elections will take place in two phases on November 6 and 11, with the results scheduled to be announced on November 14, the Election Commission has announced.

The 2025 Assembly polls will be the first major election in the state following the purification of electoral rolls under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The updated voters’ list now includes 7.43 crore electors, among whom 14 lakh are first-time voters, reflecting a significant expansion in the electorate since the last election.

The term of the current 243-member Bihar Assembly expires on November 22. The previous Assembly polls in 2020 were conducted in three phases under Covid-19 protocols and saw a tightly contested outcome between rival alliances.

The 2025 elections are expected to witness a high-stakes political battle between the ruling NDA, comprising the BJP and Janata Dal (United), and the opposition bloc Mahagathbandhan, led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress. Both sides are likely to make sweeping campaigns across the state as they vie for control of Bihar’s political landscape.

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